Clamp for crossbars



Dec. 23, 1930. M. CLAYTON CLAMP FOR CROSSBARS' Filed Jan. 30. 1929 E n FPatented Dec. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE A MARTIN M. CLAYTON,OF BADEN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL ELECTRIC PRODUCTSCORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,- A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE CLAMP FOBGROSSBARS Application filed January 30, 1929. Serial No. 336,199.

This invention relates to improved clamping means for securing the barsor members upon which electric outlet boxes are mounted to I beams orother like structural parts.

Heretofore, such outlet box supporting bars have been provided with anumber of drilled openings for. the reception of the fastening meanswhich are to secure the bracket members of bars in position upon the Ibeams or structural parts.

Accordingly, it has been necessary heretofore, to correlate the spacingof the openings in the bars to the spacing of the I beams or otherbuilding structural parts upon which the bars are to be supported. Thispractice necessitates special manufacture of the bars for differentinstallations where there are difi'erences of I beam spacing.

The present invention relates to an improved fastening or clamping meansfor such bars which will obviate the foregoing disadvantages and moreparticularly, the invention has for its object the provision of aconstruction which will permit standard bar parts to be readily clampedto I beams or the like without the necessity of making specialconstructions of the bars or of the fastening means for difierent andvariable I beam spacing.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of asimple form of clamping means which is adapted to be slid along anoutlet or switch box supporting bar to any desired position along thelength of the bar and then tightened in such a manner that the clampingmeans is firmly secured both to the structural supporting parts or Ibeams and also to the bar itself. Furthermore, by tightening up theclamping means or fastening means the bar itself is also firmly clampedagainst the structural supporting parts or I beams.

Other objects will be hereinafter set forth in the accompanyingspecification and claims and shown in the drawings, which by way ofillustration show preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a View showing an outlet box 60 bar clampedto a pair of I beams by means of my improved clamping or fasteningmeans;

Fig. 2 is a detail View taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

r Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-'3 of Fig. 2 and showingthe manner of mounting an outlet box upon the bar;

Fig. 4: is 'a view showing my improved.

clamp used with a difierent form of bar, {)vhich bar'is shown assupporting a switch Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views taken respectively onlines 5-5 and 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, 10 are the I beams or otherstructural parts upon which one or more of the bars 11, each carrying anoutlet box.12 are to be mounted. Theoutlet box 12 is supported upon thebar in any desired manner as by means of the strap 13 and screws 14:.The improved clamping means comprises an L-shaped piece or member 15having one portion thereof provided with, a rectangular opening 16 topermit the bar 11 to be passed therethrough. The other arm or. toeportion 17 of the L-shaped member is drilled andthreaded to receive aset screw 18. I

When it is desired to clamp a bar to a. pair of I beams or to otherstructural parts which are provided with flanges similar to the flanges19 upon the I beams 10, two of the clamping means are slippedupon thebar and slid along it until the toe portions 17 project .over theflanges ofv the I beam. The setscrews 18 are then tightened so that theclamping pieces are tipped in such a manner as to cause the sharp edgesof the rectangular openings 16 to bite into the metal of the bars andsecure the clamping pieces against further endwise displacement alongthe bar. The tightening of the'set screws also draws the bar 11 itselfup against the bottom flange of the I beam and thus effects anadditional clamping action. Thus the tightening of the set screws notonly clamps the clamping parts to the bars at any desired position alongtheir length, but it also clamps the bar .to the I beam. i

The foregoing construction of clamp obviously permits standard bars tobe used upon I beams or other structural parts which have a variablecenter spacing and thus obviates the necessity of making up special barsand specially drilling the same in accordance with the center spacing ofsuch I beams or structural parts.

According to the embodiments shown in Figs. +l to 6 inclusive, the sameclamping means is utilized but the supporting bars 11a are of folded orUshaped configuration. Tl. his configuration of the bars permits two ofthe bars being used to receive a switch or outlet box 12a, which switchor outlet box is provided with lugs or cars 20 to enter the recess inthe U-shaped bars. y providing such a construction the switch box can heslid along the bars to any desired position. Vith this construction theclamping bars 11a may be shipped out from the factory in long lengthsand cut to shorter lengths by the contractor. Such practice can also befollowed with the bar construction shown in Fig. 1 provided the nump inthe bar 11 be dispensed with or provided that the contractor bends thebars after the installation of the boxes thereon.

Obviously the invention is not limited solely to use upon I beams, butfinds utility in supporting and clamping bars upon structural shapes ofany desired configuration. In order to use the clamps it is onlynecessary that such structural parts have suitable flange portions 19 toprovide for the reception of the toe portions 17 over such flanges.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A fastening and clamping means for securing outlet box carrying barsto I beams or the like, comprising a clamping member with an openingtherethrough to slidably receive a bar to be clamped and provided with atoe portion adapted to project over a flange of an I beam or the likeand carrying a set screw which is laterally offset with respect to theopening in the clamping member and adapted to be tightened upon theflange whereby the clamping means is tipped and secured to the bar andwhereby the bar is secured to the I beam or the like.

2. A fastening and clamping means for securing outlet box carrying barsto struc tural supporting parts provided with flanged portions, saidclamping means comprising an L-shaped member having one portion thereofprovided with an opening to freely slidably receive a bar, said openingbeing considerably larger than the cross-sectional area. of the barpassing therethrough so that upon the tipping of the clamping membersaid member will grip the bar said clamping means also having the otherportion of the member which constitutes a toe portion provided with aset screw for engaging the flanged portions of structural parts wherebytipping of the clamping means is effected.

3. A clamping device for securing a bar to a structural supporting partwhich is provided with a flanged portion, said clamping device having anapertured portion adapted for tilting movement with respect to the bar,said aperture in said portion being also adapted to freely slidablyreceive a. bar and to also grip the bar when the device is tipped, saidclamping device also carrying engaging means adapted for adjustment andcooperation with the flange of a structural supporting part to cause thetipping of the apertured portion of the clan'iping device.

4. A clamping means for securing a bar to a structural part which isprovided with a flanged portion, said clamping means comprising atiltably mounted member having apertured portions adapted to freelyslidably receive the bar to be clamped and to grip the bar by biting theedges of the apertured portions into the bar when the member is tipped,and with relatively sharp marginal edge portions for the aperturedportions means on the clamping member for engaging the flange of astructural part and for tipping the clamping member to grip and draw upthe bar tightly against the structural supporting part.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

MARTIN M. CLAYTON.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,786,004. Granted December 23, 1930, to

MARTIN M. CLAYTON.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2,lines 85 and 86, claim 4, strike out the words "with relatively sharpmarginal edge portions for the apertured portions" and insert same tofollow after the word "and" in line 82, same claim; and that the saidLetters Patent shouid he read with this corrections therein that thesame may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of January, A. D. 1931.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents

